The increase, approved by Onondaga County legislators, means the Republican comptroller’s salary has jumped by 21 percent since he took office in 2008.

That year, the job paid $82,156.

Starting Jan. 1, Antonacci will earn $99,436, according to a resolution passed by lawmakers.

Legislature Chairman James Rhinehart, R-Skaneateles, proposed the pay raise, saying Antonacci’s current salary ranked seventh among the eight county-wide elected comptrollers in the state.

“It’s way too low,” Rhinehart said of the current $87,436 salary. “He’s at the bottom end of the spectrum.”

Legislators approved the 14 percent pay increase for Antonacci two months after adopting a 2011 budget that raises county property tax rates in 16 of the 19 suburban towns, affecting about 210,000 residents.

The budget also cut $287,000 in funding for arts and cultural groups, eliminated funding for several workers at Pratt’s Falls Park, left vacant sheriff’s deputy positions, and approved outsourcing 55 health and food service jobs in the Corrections Department.

In 2009, the Legislature voted to lay off 133 county employees to balance the 2010 county budget.

“We couldn’t pick a worse time to do this,” John C. Dougherty, R-Liverpool, said of the comptroller’s pay hike.

Antonacci’s raise came as county lawmakers also agreed to a new contract for jail and civil sheriff’s deputies that includes pay raises for three of four years.

The raises come for time worked in 2009 (3 percent) and 2010 (3.25 percent), and raised the pay again in 2012 (3.5 percent).

The deputies, who have been working without a contract for nearly two years, will get no raises in 2011. They will receive retroactive payments for their salary boosts for 2009 and 2010. An average payment will be between $3,400 and $4,500, which will come at the beginning of next year.

Rhinehart said he sponsored the raise for the comptroller’s office to bring the salary in line with comparable jobs throughout the state. The average salary for all eight comptrollers is $117,000 Rhinehart said.

Lawmakers passed on making any salary changes to any county staff in October, when they passed the $1.12 billion budget for next year. During budget talks, County Executive Joanie Mahoney, a Repubican, had proposed a $20,000 pay hike for the comptroller’s position.

Antonacci said he thought the raise showed the value of the office, which provides financial analysis and audits independent of the county executive’s office.

“It shows it’s an important office with a lot of responsibility,” he said after the vote.

He said he planned to run for county comptroller again, regardless of the salary change.

Antonacci, a certified public accountant and attorney, was considered this year by the state Republican Party as a candidate for state attorney general, but he did not receive the nomination.

Legislators Casey Jordan, R-Clay, and Dougherty, R-Liverpool, were the only ones who voted against Andonacci’s raise. Legislators Thomas Buckel and William Kinne, both Democrats of Syracuse, were absent for the vote.